MENTAL BLOCKBUSTER PREDICTION Juan TamarizIn December 1980, Juan Tamariz came over to USA. One of the things which he was doing was an effect involving two pack of cards. The thing seemed to completely baffle everyone. It certainly baffled me, Fred Robinson, Albert Goshman, Roberto and all. Juan said that the principle was an old one, credited to Val Evans, using an ingeniously faked pack of cards. Tamariz has written a book on the subject, in Spanish, and has kindly given permission for this (effect number eight in the book) to be detailed here. EFFECT The magician secretly reverses any card and replaces the pack in its case. A spectator is given a second pack and asked to secretly reverse any card in it. The magician now removes his pack and shows the reversed card. The spectator then spreads his and finds the card, which he turns round. They match. The effect is then repeated with a different card. Bear in mind that the performer always reverses his card first and always reveals it first. There are no forces and it is a different card every time. The effect does require two faked packs, both of which are reasonably easy to manufacture. However, the elegant Tamariz handling is full of subtle throw-offs, which seem to preclude any idea of trick cards. I have no doubt that if a dealer were to market this item he would sell hundreds. It really is most clean and baffling. The freedom, with which the spectators can handle the cards seems to rule out all known kinds of possible fakery. 1ST DECK (SPECTATOR'S) To make the special pack, take a normal deck of fifty-two cards and discard 8D: 8S: 8H: 2C. These cards are not used. The pack consists of 48 only. Remove the following cards and trim them about 1mm shorter (as in a 'Svengali'). 2, 4, 6, 9, J, K of Spades, Hearts and Diamonds and the 3, 5, 7, 9, J, K of Clubs. The remainder of the cards are left a normal length. The cards are now paired up in the following manner. The 2S is a shôrt_card. It is paired with 3S which is a long one. Similarly 5C a short card is paired with 6C a long. In other words, the value of the long card of each pair is one higher than the short. The long card is always the face card of the pair. When all of the pairs have been assembled (Kings pair up with aces) the pack can be put together by collecting up the pairs in a random order. Readers familiar with the "Svengali" and "Mene Tekel" packs will no doubt readily understand some of the possible uses of this one. It can be overhand and riffle shuffled in the same way as the "Svengali". It can be freely handled by spectators and yet, because of the long and short arrangement, if the cards are cut and the top or bottom one removed, a glance at the next card will instantly identify the missing one. Juan Tamariz's handling of this is typical of his elegantly deceptive style.1. The cards which match the "longs" in the other pack should all be face up and the "shorts" face down. As he brings the cards out. In other words. Turn the pack back upwards and place it behind your back. The order of the pack will be. to take the face card off the pack. "I will look for my card before you look for yours. where it can be seen throughout.2)." Turn the "Brainwave" "face up" and look for the card. Tell him to place it behind his back and cut it as many times as he likes. Pull it halfway out of the pack. Continue spreading the cards to show that there are no others reversed. which matches the face card of his pack. It will appear to be face up in a face down pack. to reverse it and place it face down in the centre. but provided that you do not freeze it looks as though the whole pack is fanned. really altering nothing. Actually only the backs of six cards can be seen. WORKING AND PRESENTATION Begin by removing the "Brainwave" pack. When he finds it. Have him square up the pack. which are not in the other pack and put them on the back of the "Brainwave" so that they are the same way round as the "short" cards. . one pip higher than the face card of the pack. pick up the "Brainwave" pack and say. look at the spectator and glimpse the card at the same time. Next introduce the Val Evans pack and give it a few shuffles and cuts a la Svengali. Only face up ones will be seen. Separate the card immediately beneath it. Square the pack and turn it face up. Bring the pack out and replace it in the case "backs up". letting it be clearly seen that the two packets are fairly interwoven. bring it out from behind his back and place it on the table. "I placed my card face down before you! O. it matches. Have him turn the pack face up. card in the centre of this pack. Fan the cards quickly. Take the four odd cards. "I am going to reverse one.K. saying. as a matter of principle. Tamariz does a tabled riffle shuffle. Then trim a joker short and put it on the face." Pretend to do so. reading from face to rear. behind his back. Close the fan. Care must be taken not to flash any face up ones. It will be the long card of whichever pair it belongs to. Have the spectator turn his pack back upwards and search for the reversed card in it. Close the card case and put it on the table. That is with the joker fanned off slightly and the four bottom cards spread but the rest of the pack in a block. As soon as you see the face card you know the identity of the reversed one. However. you will also need to construct a special "Brainwave" pack. without looking. it is better if you avoid looking at the pack immediately. Assemble the red backed pack into pairs. Tell him. face down. Hold it back upwards and casually spread the top four face down cards between your hands. so that it is upjogged for half of its length or more. (Fig. Turn the fan over to show the reversed card. Joker. Hand it to a spectator. which match the long and short pairs in the Val Evans pack. Place this pack in its case "face down". which will be the face down duplicate of his reversed card.2ND DECK (PERFORMER'S) For this particular effect. Finish up in the position shown in Fig. 24 face up "short" cards paired with 24 face down "long cards followed by four face up indifferent cards. Continue.?" As you say this. Rough the backs of these cards and assemble them back to back so that 2S is with 3S and 5C with 6C etc. Have him turn over his card. on top. face up once more. emphasise that you reversed your card first and that you will show it first. When the spectator has reversed a card. riffle up the pack from bottom to top until you locate the short joker. This will not be too wide a spread. Cut the pack at this point. leaving it face down on the table. Extract the face up card from the spectator's pack. Turn it face down and place it on top. Because of the uneven way that he will spread it. In the process. Once ft is out of sight. face up. so move it to the bottom and you are reset. Hand this pack to a second spectator for the repeat. exactly as before. Offer to repeat the effect. Then have the spectator spread his pack. in order to throw off the knowing ones. the pairing of the cards will not be apparent. "I will show you my card first. Ask him to draw out his card. "I will take out my card first" . the audience will see a face down card beneath it. Bring out the pack and place it in the box. Ribbon spread the "Brainwave" face up. bringing it to the top. as it was not when I was fooled!) Say. pushed it in the centre and brought the pack into view and laid it on the table.do so.REPEAT It is a fairly simple matter to reset and repeat. Cut the pack and. if you care to. This time. The joker will be on top. Turn it face down. in a similar manner." Do so. To start with. turn the face down card. give it another Svengali-type shuffle. With the thumb.3). Leave that pack squared on the table for a moment. . cut the "Brainwave" at the projecting card. Pick up the "Brainwave" and place it behind your back. They match. just enough for you to locate the appropriate face down card and push it part way out (Fig. Then say. thereby reinforcing the belief that only a single card is reversed. there will be a slight difference in the handling. This should make it apparent that you do not use an accomplice. (I can vouch for this personally. which is wrong way round. Now pick up the "reversed" card and place it face down on top of the cards in the left hand. Finally pick up the last three cards. break the spread at that point. The audience have seen a lot of backs and any idea of more than one card being reversed seems unlikely.G. The position will be that shown in the precedent figure. Turn them over in a slight fan and drop them on the rest. Next scoop up all of the remaining cards but "accidently" leave the bottom three behind. Square up this packet and place on top.When you remove your card from the "Brainwave". To reset. for another performance. Place the packet in the left hand. you simply have to go through the pack and reverse the one card. Thompson Jr. Pick up all the cards in section "A" square them and turn them face down. Tamariz says that this routine is based on ideas by Vern Chesbro and J. .